Cleaning your new home before moving in is a crucial step, ensuring both comfort and hygiene for a worry-free start to life in your new environment. LetsGetHome provides a detailed DIY cleaning guide for new homeowners, teaching you how to use bleach effectively and safely for disinfection and cleaning purposes.
Before you start the actual cleaning, assess the cleaning needs of each room and prepare the necessary supplies and tools.
Cleaning should follow a top-down, inside-out approach. Perform a thorough vacuum of the new home, followed by cleaning from the ceiling to the floor. LetsGetHome has prepared a comprehensive rental checklist for free download, including property viewing, signing, moving, settling in, and terminate tenancy.
Start with the dirtiest parts of the home, typically the kitchen and bathrooms, where cleaning needs are most intensive.
Pay attention to every room, especially large surfaces like floors and windows.
After cleaning, ensure windows are open to facilitate good ventilation, helping to eliminate odors and chemical residues.
Bleach is an economical and effective disinfectant but must be used cautiously to ensure safety and effectiveness. Here are some tips for using bleach:
It is not recommended to mix bleach with Dettol or other chemical-based disinfectants as they may react and produce harmful gases or other adverse reactions. If cleaning with both products is necessary, use them separately and ensure thorough rinsing between applications, maintaining good ventilation at all times.
The fumes from bleach can be irritating to the eyes, nose, and throat. Prolonged inhalation of high concentrations can be harmful, especially in poorly ventilated areas. Ensure adequate ventilation when using bleach to minimize long-term inhalation.
Improper contact with bleach can lead to significant health issues. Inhalation may cause respiratory irritation, coughing, chest discomfort, or breathing difficulties. Contact with skin or eyes can result in burns, redness, pain, and blurred vision. Ingesting bleach can cause severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and even internal burns.
Generally, bleach evaporates within a few minutes to hours in a well-ventilated area. In warmer and drier conditions, evaporation is quicker, whereas it's slower in cold or humid conditions. For safety, ventilate the area for at least 30 minutes after using bleach to accelerate evaporation and reduce potential risks. If indoor ventilation is poor, longer periods may be required to ensure complete evaporation.
HEPA filters capture over 99.7% of airborne particles larger than 0.3 microns, effectively filtering out bacteria and dust and protecting your family's health.
If the new home has new furniture or has undergone renovations, it is advisable to treat for formaldehyde to ensure air quality.
Opt for products approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ensure they effectively eliminate viruses.
In Hong Kong, comprehensive cleaning for a 400 square foot unit typically costs between HK$1,500 and HK$2,500, covering basic cleaning services like floors, windows, kitchens, and more in-depth cleaning such as bathroom sanitation and exhaust hood cleaning.
It's advisable to handle utility setups online a few days before moving in as electricity and water typically take a couple of business days to transfer or activate, and gas setup requires an on-site meter reading.
Finding affordable rentals is not difficult; LetsGetHome offers rental options across all 18 districts of Hong Kong, including shared rooms, village houses, and properties under ten million, all without any commission, making it a truly cost-free rental experience.